The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-28
GOSSIP ABOUT NATURAL GAS
A False Rumor Gets Out Regarding the
Lease on the Harris Farm.
The Indianapolis Company Is Willing to Ac-
cept the New Pipe Line Ordinance-The
Irvington Well Proves Failure.

A rumor was circulated around the city yes
terday to the effect thar the Harris farm had
been leased by the Standard OIL Company, and
that the well there sunk by the Indianapolis
Natural-gas Company was bored without author
ity ard was the property of the all-absorbing
Standard. It seemed hardly credible to those
who took o second thought upon the matter
that the shrewd business men of the home COM
pany should have bored such q long and expen-
sive hole in ground to which they had no claim
and made so ridiculous a mistake as was charged
to them. There is no truth whatever in the
story" said a member of the homo company;
"ths Standard Oil Company has neither bought
leased the Harris farm We have that and
the farm adjoining it on this side We have q
letter from Mr.. Harris. who is in Paris which is
good as a lease"
funny little coupon is attached to this story.
When Mr.. Mansfield. Of the Standard Oil Com
pany, returned from the Harrs-farm we'll the
day it was shot, and the exhibit then made
showed it to be a frst-class well. he went to
Major Calkins. his attorney, and asked him what
Mr.. Harris owned the farm
why, don't you known said the Major. she
is A. G. Harris. my partner"
well" said Mr.. Mansfield, don't you think
it little strange that the head of the fra of our
lawyers should lease ground to our chief compel
itors in the fieldr
Judge Marsinda,e last night, after the passage
of the amended naturalaas ordinance by the
Council and Board Of Aldermen. was asked how he
liked it. "Our company are satisfied with the
ordinance rassed," was the answer. though
we think the rates may be u little low.
When will you begin laying your pipes to the
cityr'
1--WE will not begin piping until see What
the other wells we are putting down beyond the
Harris well produce, and we will know In a few
DAYS just what we can count upon"
Yesterday afternoon a Journal reporter visited
the well at Irvingtou The drill had reached a
depth of 985 feet. twenty feet into Trenton rock.
without a smell Of gas. The ground on the
banks Of Pleasant run. where the derrick is erect
ed, Is 8O5 feet above sea level. and the well has,
therefore, gone to depth OF $50 feet below sea
level without either gas or salt water. A meet
ing of the directors was held last night at the
residence of Dr. Ritter, at Irvington, and it was
agreed to Immediately put down another well in
the neigh porhood of the village of Cumberland,
ten miles east of the city Mr. Gibney. the con-
tractor. will remove his machinery from Irving
ton to the new location soon as possible.
The Capital City Gas Company has had bad
luck at Lawrence. AT 1.O10 feet Trenton rock
was struck, and for four feet in the rock there
n small flow of gas. When the drill went
one foot deeper strong vein of salt water was
struck. which rose in the we'll to depth of 700
feet and compelled the suspension of work. the
we'll has been abandoned until the completion of
the one on the Smart farm. two and half miles
beyond Lawrence which is now down a depth
of more than 100 feet. The company may then
think il worth while to pump out the water and
drill further into the rock in the hope of striking
a strong vein of gas.
A report is prevalent that the Standard Oil
Company has on the way to Anderson sufficient
pipe to bring gas from that place to Indianapolis,
and will at once begin laying line of pipe
this city. counter report goes to the effect
that the Stanard has sold it's interests IN the An
derson wells and abandoned Indianapolis The
latter rumor is not believed outside of kinder
gartens, as the Standard has many thousands of
acres leased nearer Indianapolis than it's Ander-
son wells, aud is not looked upon organi-
cation that ia likely to let go enterprise that
has great posi- Utilities in it.